Collaborative research initiative targets a better deal for Geelong groups

A GEELONG-BASED social research project wants to rethink how Australia makes policy decisions and promote greater involvement of grassroots thinking.

Local groups are participating in the Real Geal Geelong scheme that will hear from local leaders about the concerns and changing dynamic of their communities.

Unions, faith groups, conservationists and other organisations have combined for the social policy experiment, which had a listening post event last week to kick off conversations about challenges facing local communities.

Real Deal is under the University of Sydney’s Sydney Policy Lab and is aimed at “building place-based projects and national actions that allow us to build power from the ground up”.

Geelong is among the first communities to initiate a place-based research project for its residents, with the research centre hopeful it will provide insights into how local stakeholders can have a greater say in policy decisions that impact their communities.

Access to affordable housing, quality of rental homes and psychological stress on young people due to climate change are among the primary wellbeing concerns to emerge from early events.

Geelong Real Deal project officer Sal Fisher said the project aimed to provide locally designed answers to the region’s most pressing local issues.

“As a Geelong resident I am inspired to be working with other community members and organisations in this project to not only surface the challenges we face but imagine solutions that can make our lives better.

“We hope to hear from more than 500 people, but I have a sense that we will hear from many more as this wave of community engagement rises.

“I am equally excited to play a role in connecting the wisdom of our community members with the technical knowledge that can come from researchers to help us craft the policy solutions we need to respond to the crises and challenges we face.”

United Workers Union allied industries executive director Godfrey Moase said collaboration was at the heart of the new project.

“Fundamentally it is about all of us recognising that we cannot solve the problems that we face alone. Our job is to connect and relate across our differences – to listen, understand and learn.

“And through that build policy and a politics that is as serious as the problems we face.”